Trigger safety device

ABSTRACT

A trigger safety device for firearms particularly handguns. The trigger safety device is especially useful for police revolvers and consists of a solid shaped resilient plug to fit behind the trigger of a firearm.

tlmited States Patent [1 1 Sperling 1 3,713,239 1' Jan. 30, 1973 I TRIGGER SAFETY DEVICE [76] Inventor: Robert Sperling, 256 N.E. 51 Street, Miami, Fla. 33137 221 Filed: Feb. 16, 1971 211 Appl.No.: 115,482

[52] U.S.Cl. ..42/1Y [51] lnt.Cl. ..F41c 27/10 [58] Field of Search ..42/l Y [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1950 Charters ..42/l Y 2,590,516 3/1952 Breymann ..42/1 Y 2,664,658 1/1954 Bjorklund ..42l1 Y 2,893,152 7/1959 Peluso ..42/l Y Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney-Meyer A. Baskin [57] ABSTRACT A trigger safety device for firearms particularly handguns. The trigger safety device is especially useful for police revolvers and consists of a solid shaped resilient plug to fit behind the trigger of a firearm.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAHBO 1915 I 3.713.239

IN VEN TOR. F055? 7" .SFERL /N6 HTTOR/VE).

TRIGGER SAFETY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a trigger safety device which is inexpensive and simple to use. It is especially adapted for use on police guns where the danger of the gun being snatched from the policemans holster and used against him is a serious one. The news media often tell of a criminal snatching a policemans revolver from his holster and using it on the policeman and others with tragic results.

In addition, the present invention prevents the accidental discharge of a firearm in case of accidental dropping of the gun. Also the device of the present invention will usually prevent accidental discharge when a gun falls into the hands ofa small child.

The principal object of the present invention is to minimize or prevent the accidental discharge of firearms.

Another object of the present invention is to accomplish these results in a simple and inexpensive manner while not interfering with quick draw and use of the pistol by the policeman.

The problem of providing a trigger safety device which will not conflict with the quick use of the firearms by the policeman has been solved by the present invention. This problem has not been overcome by the prior art.

There have been many devices proposed for the same general purpose. They usually involve complex locking devices or guards which are both expensive and would seriously interfere with for example a police officer attempting to use his handgun. The following prior art United States Patents show the complexity and expense of the prior art devices:

U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,596

U.S. Pat. No. 3,164,919

U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,516

U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,152

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 is an overall elevation view of a typical 38 caliber police revolver with my trigger safety device in place.

FIG. 2 shows an elevational view of one form of my trigger safety device, in cross section along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one form of my trigger safety device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another form of my invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of still another form of my invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the drawing, the body of a typical 38 caliber police revolver is designated 1. The trigger 2 is surrounded by trigger guard 3.

My trigger safety device 4 is a plug preferrably made of a resilient substance preferably a medium-soft rubber or plastic material. The form of my invention shown in FIG. 3 has narrow surfaces 9, perpendicular to two broad surfaces 10. The size of the safety device 4 is such as to fit snugly between trigger 2 and trigger guard 3 so that safety device 4 is compressed when in position so that it ill stay firmly in position. Nevertheless the firmness must not be such as to interfere with the police officer being able to quickly push the safety device 4 out of the trigger guard 3 so as to be able to promptly use the gun.

This ability to promptly remove the safety device so as not to interfere with its use is an important advantage of the present invention over the prior art.

The form of my safety device shown in FIG. 4, has two broad, flat surfaces 5 and relatively perpendicular smaller surfaces 6 having slightly convex shape as shown.

In the form of my safety device shown in FIG. 5, the two broad, flat surfaces 7 and relatively perpendicular surfaces 1 1 both are relatively flat, however, one of surfaces 7 has an extended edge 8 extending slightly beyond surfaces 11 which enables the device to be pushed out of the gun in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 5 only and not in the opposite direction. This form of the invention would be made specifically for use by either left-handed or right-handed policemen, but the same form could not be used by both.

What is claimed is:

1. A trigger safety device for guns having a trigger with a space behind said trigger, comprising a resilient plug of irregular shape that fits in the said space conforming to the shape of said space and slightly larger than said space so as to be compressed when positioned in said space.

2. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 in which said safety device is held in place by its bodily resilience.

3. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug has two broad, flat surfaces and narrow surfaces perpendicular to said broad, flat surfaces.

4. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug has two broad flat surfaces and narrow surfaces perpendicular to said broad flat surfaces, said narrow surfaces having a convex shape.

5. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug has two broad, flat surfaces and narrow surfaces perpendicular to said broad flat surfaces, one

of said broad flat surfaces having an extended edge extending beyond said narrow surfaces. 

1. A trigger safety device for guns having a trigger with a space behind said trigger, comprising a resilient plug of irregular shape that fits in the said space conforming to the shape of said space and slightly larger than said space so as to be compressed when positioned in said space.
 1. A trigger safety device for guns having a trigger with a space behind said trigger, comprising a resilient plug of irregular shape that fits in the said space conforming to the shape of said space and slightly larger than said space so as to be compressed when positioned in said space.
 2. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 in which said safety device is held in place by its bodily resilience.
 3. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug has two broad, flat surfaces and narrow surfaces perpendicular to said broad, flat surfaces.
 4. A trigger safety device as in claim 1 wherein said resilient plug has two broad flat surfaces and narrow surfaces perpendicular to said broad flat surfaces, said narrow surfaces having a convex shape. 